New Year, New Results?
The first month of the year brings with it cold weather and a clean slate. Anything’s possible, and the sky is the limit. Or is it? For many people, the sky isn’t the limit. Their mind is the limit. The boundaries of their perception of what’s possible shrink back to the constricted thoughts of what they did last year and…
Reacting Vs. Thinking
How many times have you found yourself in a needless meeting because someone overreacted to an urgent, but unimportant issue? My study with more than six-hundred talent development professionals found that the number one strategy challenge they see in their companies is being tactical and reactive. Here are a few techniques to move from reactive to proactive.
Beware the Decision Triangle
As the end of the year approaches, good leaders will take time to reflect on what they and their teams accomplished, where they felt short and their key learning’s from the year. Inevitably, there will be several projects or initiatives that simply didn’t go anywhere. Sometimes, the lack of progress is due to a lack of resources—time, attention, people, budget….
Strategy’s Success Can Start With Taboo
I recently led a strategic thinking and planning program with a Fortune 500 company. During the Value Mining exercise in which the group explored new areas to deliver value to customers, one idea was met with the comment, “That’s taboo around here.” Others agreed, but a few asked the question, “Why?” We then discussed other ideas that were traditionally taboo:…
What CEOs Think About Strategy
I recently led a webinar on strategy and innovation for Chief Executive Magazine and 300+ CEOs. Throughout the program, I used polling questions to gauge their perspectives on three strategy topics and wanted to share the results with you. Question 1: How often do you and your team meet to update your strategies? An overwhelming majority of the CEOs (83.6%)…
Differentiation Demands Strategic Thinking
Every product and service can be differentiated. Capitulating to a “me-too” mindset is weak and unforgiving in the market. Learn why “better” doesn’t exist and what customers really want to know from you.
Strategic Thinking for CIOs
Never before has the power of technology been more important to a company’s long-term success. Technology is providing a digital infrastructure for efficient processes, deepening customer relationships, and transforming business-as-usual into a dynamic, mobile and interactive experience. The IT leaders of today champion technology’s role in the enterprise and strive to enhance the organization’s profitability and productivity. As your world…
April Fools’ Strategy
In an effort to improve mankind, or at least the state of business strategy, I hereby declare April 1 Strategy Fools’ Day. We are hijacking the day of hoaxes and harmless pranks to shine a light on the well-intentioned, but misguided and misinformed attempts to create, communicate and execute strategy. So here is a condensed list of foolish strategies with…
Are You Getting Better?
As you swivel around in your next conference room meeting or multitask during this week’s conference call, see if you can spot the “Fine Wine” phenomenon. You’ll know it when a manager talks for more than sixty seconds and says exactly nothing of substance. Sure, it may have sounded important, with a few “strategics” thrown in for good measure, but…
You, Strategist
Imagine a world where there was no direction, no purpose, no thinking. A constant flow of aimless activities consumes your existence. Products and services slowly become commodities, like mass-produced parts on an assembly line. People stare blankly into their computer screens, searching for answers in a sea of PowerPoint slides and Excel spreadsheets. A seemingly endless stream of time-sucking teleconferences…
